1855 Line from Three Bridges to East Grinstead opened. The Photo shows an opening day train (Barnham to Bognor, 1869).

1866 Line extended to Tunbridge Wells. The old terminus became the goods yard.

Model: East Grinstead Town will be operated as if the old terminus continued to be used for passenger traffic.

Photo: David Searle coll. 1866 East Grinstead’s through station opened, as the line from Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells was completed; old terminus to branch from Three Bridges closed to passenger traffic.

Model: East Grinstead Town will be operated as if the terminus also stayed open to passengers. The first train to arrive is usually hauled by an 1847 “Jenny Lind” 2-2- 2 and it includes carriages typical of the 1840s. A programme to roof third class carriages began in 1853 but ten years later there had been little progress. In the through station, goods may be seen going to Three Bridges behind a small saddle tank which was allocated to the branch in 1864.

East Grinstead had a small locomotive shed for overnight storage of one loco. The first to use the shed was this unusual saddle tank; it is scheduled to haul the first departure from East Grinstead Town. 1870 In 1866 Manning, Wardle made six 0-6-0 goods locos for a contractor to the Cambrian Railways; he went bankrupt and the LB&SCR purchased two of the locos, one of which then worked the East Grinstead line.

Model: The next arrival is a “pickup goods” service from Three Bridges. It will collect empty coal wagons and deliver other supplies to the town.

The “Jenny Lind” departs with some 1840s and 1850s carriages, including an 1844 “Parliamentary” carriage which has wooden shutters instead of glazing. They were built to satisfy an Act written by William Gladstone, to ensure workers had covered carriages; he forgot to mention windows, so none were provided! 1870 A landmark year; the old chief engineer (John Craven) left and William Stroudley arrived. Craven never standardised, e.g. over 70 loco classes! Stroudley introduced a single design for most carriages, and a limited number of loco classes. Some of his locos lasted in public service into the 1960s and then passed into preservation (see photo of two examples).

However, Craven’s stock continued to be a common site for many years.

Model: In addition to the departure of the goods, two trains may be seen passing in the through station. Goods, including timber and coke wagons, heads to Three Bridges behind a Stroudley goods tank (E1) called Calvados. Passenger stock heads towards Tunbridge Wells, hauled by a somewhat unlikely choice of locomotive; a “Croydon” class loco, normally only used in South London. 1870s The best known LB&SCR locomotives were the tiny 0-6-0 tanks known as “terriers” (A1); the nearby Bluebell Railway owns Stepney and Fenchurch.

The first “terriers” were built in 1872 and worked the East London Railway under the Thames at Rotherhithe, hence many of their names.

Piccadilly was based at Brighton and did work north, at least to Lewes, so it may have visited East Grinstead. They certainly came in 1902 (photo) when several were kept there before being scrapped! Photo: David Searle coll.

Model: A van train arrives in the terminus, usually hauled by Piccadilly, which also shunts an open carriage truck to the carriage dock. 1870s New standardised designs of locos and carriages were being built at Brighton Railway Works. Meanwhile, those built before 1870 had to be used; there were over 80 designs of carriage in varnished teak, or painted in any of three colours, and over 70 locomotive designs, each to suit a specific route! Many were re-painted in the new colours, given names, and some lasted into the 1890s.

Model: Another service of 1850s carriages visits the terminus. The tiny brown carriage was the most common design with 115 still in use in 1869, and some would have remained in branch use for some years; note the minimal provision of glazing!

The loco which usually hauls this service is a 2-2-2 built in 1864 for the Three Bridges to East Grinstead line.

Carriages from the 1850s and 1860s may pass through from Tunbridge Wells. 1870s Horse boxes, carriage trucks and some vans were classified as “passenger rated” so they could be attached to passenger trains, or grouped into special trains. The vans were used for parcels and urgent goods, including perishables (fruit, vegetables, flowers, meat and fish).

Model: The van train now departing the terminus includes a mail van that has mail exchange apparatus, as used on the Brighton main line between 1861 and 1878.

Before 1870 carriages were not tall enough to stand up in. When the Post Office looked at the plan of this mail van they asked if it could be made 6ft tall at the sides as well as in the middle; the reply is unknown.

Some 1870s 1st and saloon carriages may be seen passing through to Tunbridge Wells.

Drawing source: Wikipedia Commons 1870s Passenger carriages built in the 1860s would have remained a common sight well into the 1870s and some remained in use as excursion stock in the 1890s.

The photo shows 1850s and 1860s carriages in the sidings at Brighton in 1871.

Photo: Lens of Sutton coll. Model: 1860s carriages arrive in the terminus, usually hauled by the little saddle tank that was stationed at East Grinstead’s locomotive shed. It will move them into the carriage siding where they will be stored for later excursion use. 1880s Wealthy owners of horse-drawn vehicles sometimes wanted to take their carriage with them. Many stations were provided with an end loading “dock” which had a ramp to allow carriages to be loaded onto a purpose built truck. These were originally open, but from the 1880s covered carriage trucks (CCTs) were also provided. Photos: CCT in the dock at Eastbourne; open CT with carriage.

Model: Passenger carriages of designs built in the 1870s and 1880s arrive in the terminus. The loco delivers a CCT to the carriage dock.

1st class and saloon carriages may be seen returning from Tunbridge Wells.

Photos: CCT Gordon Holmes coll.; open CT John Minnis coll. 1880s East Grinstead had a small loco shed. In 1883 a new D1 loco, named Handcross, was allocated there. The photo shows the loco de-railed at Horley!

Model: Handcross collects the carriages and covered carriage truck, and departs.

From 1870 LB&SCR carriages were varnished mahogany. We assume older carriages were gradually repainted red-brown to match (see brake carriages). Before 1870 varnish was reserved for 1st, 2nd and composite carriages, usually built of teak. Painted carriages had been brown (2nd and 3rd) or lake (1st and composite); green for all classes but probably only from about 1863. In 1869 they changed the scheme to “chocolate”, before changing to varnished mahogany in 1870! Photo: Teak is resistant to rot; this LB&SCR 1st class (built 1866) spent at least 110 years as a shed! In 2011 it was dismantled and taken to the Bluebell Railway. 1880s William Stroudley took over as engineer in 1870 and began an era of standardised designs.

His first tender locos resembled the later classes built by his predecessor, but with a cab roof! It was known as the “Belgravia” Class, and the first four (of six) were built in 1872, and even continued the tradition of not providing any brakes on the loco itself. Some, including Kensington, ran with recycled old tenders.

Photo: David Searle coll.

Model: Kensington delivers a rake of service stock, comprised of ex-carriages from the 1840s and 1850s, to the carriage siding and then returns “light engine” to Three Bridges. 1883 East Grinstead’s third station was completed to the west of the town, allowing connection to the new lines north and south, and the second station closed. However, there was local protest as the replacement station was further from town! Despite closure, it was not demolished until 1908.

East Grinstead had a small locomotive shed and a new loco, named Handcross (D1), was allocated to it in 1883. The photo shows it de-railed at Horley!

Model: East Grinstead Town will be operated as if the people of East Grinstead had their wish and the second station remained open to serve the Town!

Handcross is in the shed. Photographer: W. Wilkins

1890s Lingfield Park Racecourse opened in 1890. Excursion trains serving the course stabled the carriages either at Lingfield (from 1894) or at East Grinstead Low Level.

Some stations at race courses had turntables (e.g. Epsom Downs, Singleton [for Goodwood]); Lingfield did not. Locos were turned via the loops between the high and low level lines at East Grinstead. In the 1890s, the nearest water crane to Lingfield was in the East Grinstead High Level goods yard, i.e. the former terminus.

Model: An express locomotive will enter the former terminus to be stored by the loco shed and water crane, awaiting return to Lingfield.

Photo by Peter Clayton, 2005 1890s East Grinstead had several local coal merchants and the pre-1900 companies included Thomas Heasman and William Best. Both operated their own wagons but there are no records to show what the wagons looked like.

Model: Aside from the speculative Heasman wagons, those which visit East Grinstead Town all represent collieries and coal factors known to have delivered in the area.

The next arrival is a “pickup goods” service from Three Bridges. It will collect wagons or vans, and deliver coal for the local coal merchants.

1860s carriages, now excursion stock, are collected from the carriage siding, usually by Handcross (D1).

Photo: Similar 1860s carriages departing from Dyke behind a D1 in 1893; photograph by Dr Budden. 1890s A second wave of standard designs were introduced. Long carriages mounted on bogies started to replace 4/6 wheel carriages. The photo shows a carriage of 1890s design at the Bluebell Railway (painted in the green livery used after 1923).

Model: The pickup goods leaves the yard (former terminus), usually hauled by one of the larger designs of 1880s goods loco (C1).

Some of the newly introduced bogie carriages may be seen passing through to Tunbridge Wells, hauled by an 1890s loco; usually Sanderstead (D3) or Rastrick (B2), named after the engineer who built the Brighton main line. Photo by Ian White, 2008 1890s Most carriages built before 1870 were scrapped but some became “Departmental Stock”, i.e. they were used by railway engineers as tool vans for track maintenance or breakdown trains. Some later became sheds or summer- houses, like the one shown in the photo; the drawing shows how the same carriage looked when built in the 1850s.

Photo: David Clarke, 2009

Drawing: Ian White, 2009

Model: A train of departmental stock arrives, usually hauled by Handcross (D1). These former carriages (built 1840s, 1850s) are then stored in the carriage siding.

The loco in the shed road departs back to Lingfield races. 1900s Pullman carriages first ran on the LB&SCR in the 1870s (drawing). They were painted brown with ornate gold patterning; the well known cream and brown livery was introduced in 1906.

Pullmans visited East Grinstead at least twice. In 1911 a set of 4 1890s Pullman cars, the Pullman dynamo brake (known as a PUP), and a brake 1st, were hired to convey a wedding party from Victoria. A week earlier, the train had run empty to check clearances; and they say expensive weddings are a modern phenomenon!

Model: Her Majesty (built 1895), plus the PUP, will run towards Tunbridge Wells; it will not return as it fails a clearance test for running towards Three Bridges! It will be hauled by either Rastrick (B2), or an express tank loco (I3 class) in the new dark brown passenger locomotive livery, introduced in 1905.

Photo: Interior of Her Majesty; C. Long. coll. Drawing: an 1875 Pullman car; after Lacy & Dow, Midland Railway Carriages 1908 The 1900s were a time of change, with new designs and new liveries, e.g. varnished mahogany carriages were painted brown and white, or simply brown. The photo shows an LB&SCR bogie carriage at the Bluebell Railway receiving a coat of brown undercoat paint.

The old through station at East Grinstead, although closed in 1883, was not demolished until 1908. Photo: Ian White, 2011 Model: Bogie carriages of 1890s design return through to Three Bridges and a rake of loaded coal wagons head for Tunbridge Wells, hauled by Beachy Head (E4).

East Grinstead Town closes.